Perhaps it is a disease. I keep writing everything (even freehand) in absolute contradiction to the rule. I even wrote "concieved" a few hours ago, so I am even getting the exception backward! This is extremely embarassing for one who aspires to wrestle with diction, or other politically incorrect fare. It must be a new strian of vuris.
(heh)
This is a good, and fairly shrewd article on the times that bind. My only real objection is I think he's overly harsh with the media. On the other hand, I have my own reasons to think that the New York Times is a conservative-leaning wolf in non-partisan drag.
One of the contributors to the Science Fiction Blog wrote this regarding a news item:
"Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense." It's possible that I have taken that too much to heart. I kept trying to re-write resurgence because the introductory banter when the two characters meet never felt real to me. Instead of "Ooooh! Tell me more!" she should kick him in the balls and scream for the cops. Several rewrites later it looks like I'm writing a completely different story. So many ideas, so little focus. What I ultimately decided... um, about 12 hours ago (golly I need to get to bed) was that I need to get resurgence posted, even if its only a first draft. What I did to resolve the dialogue issue was to put it in a strophe/antistrophe format... if thats the correct term. I think it actually reads better that way. I also corrected the dead link on my home page to link to a menu containing it and future literary misdeeds.
13 April 2005
10 April 2005
More Guns Than The Texas Legislature
Well, that was a long, interesting trip. Several people were interested in my rifle, including a man whom I rather presume was german. He apparently has a set of claw mounts such as I might need to mount a scope. I told them all that I was not interested in selling. I wonder how true that really is. At a guess, I could probably get $1500 for it which is easily thrice what I paid for it. On the other hand, I'm old-fashioned, and a romantic. Posessing a rifle chambered for a cartridge that is: a) archaic, and b) not currently mass produced by any company (8x57J), greatly appeals to me. [Norma used to make it, but last I heard (5 years ago) they no longer do] At any rate, I am feeling remiss that I did not get the german fellow's contact information.
It turns out that I cannot use stripper clips. There is a cutout guide for a stripper clip, but the 'ears' have been filed down long ago (bluing over the truncated ears). The claw-mount type scope mounts are a kind that would have to be readjusted every time you remove and replace the rifle's scope. Thus the scope would be left in place, and since the scope leaves no clearance for stripper clips (which must be held directly above the receiver and pushed down into the magazine) the cartridges were loaded manually. So now, even though I have neither the appropriate mounts or original scope, I cannot use a stripper clip because the ears are gone, and the clip would not be held properly.
I saw a WWII-issue (1943) Remington Rand Colt .45ACP with chrome finish. Very nice. Has "Property of US Govt" on the right side of the slide and looks brand new. It's also $1200. I took the vendor's buisiness card because he's also a dealer for Eagle Grips (as in for 1911 pattern pistols). Spotted a Ruger GP-100 for $340, $100 less than I paid for mine... wow.. 8 years ago?? Saw a 9mm CZ-75 in stainless, I like that design, but I'll pass on any 9mm. There was an Astra .45ACP pistol for $270. Should be a decent gun, and at a sweet price, but I have no practical use for a compact pistol. Kimber. One vendor was a Kimber dealer who had a nifty array of their products. Noteworthy was the 'Warrior' model. Apparently a civillian version of a SOC Marines pistol. Steel frame, black matte finish, night sights, and lower frame accessory lug for flashlights or laser dot sight. What really makes the 'Warrior' attractive is the tan (or is that Army olive?) grip panels, which appear to be rubber. Also noteworthy is that it does not have the Kimber Series II safety. I presume that is due to the Marines requiring a "series 80" saftey. I would expect the military to be picky like that. The one I saw wore a tag of $1150. The vendor also had a 'Raptor' model, but there's nothing new there, just fancy (and expensive) cosmetics. Just in case I hadn't had enough, on the way home I stopped by a Gander Mountain store that was near the fairgrounds. They also had a selection of pretty Kimbers, as well as other brands. I was not aware that they had a gunsmith on staff. I'll have to remember that.
I was standing by an older man who was peering at pretty guns at one of the vendor's tables. The man asked to inspect one of the guns and showed his IL FOID card. The vendor said "That's not valid; you have to sign it." The card dispay's the owners picture at the upper right, and right where the right edge of the card ends, there is a faint blue line on the lamination. Words on the right edge of the lamination (where there is no card underneath) say "sign name above using ballpoint pen only". I had not noticed that either. Actually, that is idiotic. You should be able to sign the card BEFORE the lamination is applied. What really happens is that, once approved, you get the card in the mail from the State, and as I recall, there was no hint about any need to sign the card. Just tiny letters in faint blue, on the hazy clear lamination.
I have to go make a bumper sticker now. It will say: "I brake for stop signs."
What a world we live in.
It turns out that I cannot use stripper clips. There is a cutout guide for a stripper clip, but the 'ears' have been filed down long ago (bluing over the truncated ears). The claw-mount type scope mounts are a kind that would have to be readjusted every time you remove and replace the rifle's scope. Thus the scope would be left in place, and since the scope leaves no clearance for stripper clips (which must be held directly above the receiver and pushed down into the magazine) the cartridges were loaded manually. So now, even though I have neither the appropriate mounts or original scope, I cannot use a stripper clip because the ears are gone, and the clip would not be held properly.
I saw a WWII-issue (1943) Remington Rand Colt .45ACP with chrome finish. Very nice. Has "Property of US Govt" on the right side of the slide and looks brand new. It's also $1200. I took the vendor's buisiness card because he's also a dealer for Eagle Grips (as in for 1911 pattern pistols). Spotted a Ruger GP-100 for $340, $100 less than I paid for mine... wow.. 8 years ago?? Saw a 9mm CZ-75 in stainless, I like that design, but I'll pass on any 9mm. There was an Astra .45ACP pistol for $270. Should be a decent gun, and at a sweet price, but I have no practical use for a compact pistol. Kimber. One vendor was a Kimber dealer who had a nifty array of their products. Noteworthy was the 'Warrior' model. Apparently a civillian version of a SOC Marines pistol. Steel frame, black matte finish, night sights, and lower frame accessory lug for flashlights or laser dot sight. What really makes the 'Warrior' attractive is the tan (or is that Army olive?) grip panels, which appear to be rubber. Also noteworthy is that it does not have the Kimber Series II safety. I presume that is due to the Marines requiring a "series 80" saftey. I would expect the military to be picky like that. The one I saw wore a tag of $1150. The vendor also had a 'Raptor' model, but there's nothing new there, just fancy (and expensive) cosmetics. Just in case I hadn't had enough, on the way home I stopped by a Gander Mountain store that was near the fairgrounds. They also had a selection of pretty Kimbers, as well as other brands. I was not aware that they had a gunsmith on staff. I'll have to remember that.
I was standing by an older man who was peering at pretty guns at one of the vendor's tables. The man asked to inspect one of the guns and showed his IL FOID card. The vendor said "That's not valid; you have to sign it." The card dispay's the owners picture at the upper right, and right where the right edge of the card ends, there is a faint blue line on the lamination. Words on the right edge of the lamination (where there is no card underneath) say "sign name above using ballpoint pen only". I had not noticed that either. Actually, that is idiotic. You should be able to sign the card BEFORE the lamination is applied. What really happens is that, once approved, you get the card in the mail from the State, and as I recall, there was no hint about any need to sign the card. Just tiny letters in faint blue, on the hazy clear lamination.
I have to go make a bumper sticker now. It will say: "I brake for stop signs."
What a world we live in.
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